Re: R & I

"Amen" (a good, loud one at that) to Kathy Guest's comment about the
impossibility of trying to help entrants get correct names for their
iris at the show. Too many other things to do, too busy with one's
own entries, just no time to be doing that when closing time for
entries is looming. Absolutely right: the garden is the place. We
had a couple new members come just before the show with some great
looking stalks for which they didn't know the correct names. One
wanted to help them be a part of the show and get into the fun of
entering, yet it was an impossible situation. We wanted to encour-
age, we wanted to show them the correct way to do things, and, well,
you get the picture. It was a hassle. We should have avoided that
by making it crystal clear at a club meeting just what entering
things in a show involved, what had to be done ahead of time, the
importance of accurate identification, etc. I learned by the whole
experience, but it should have been avoided. This year it will,
because as the club president this year, I'm going to make sure we
have no ignorance, either born of indifference or newness, before we
go into the show.
Arnold Koekkoek
NW Iowa Zone 4 (where show is a long ways off, sad to say, but one
can dream)